A useful x-ray image can often be the product of assembling multiple x-ray images or image frames obtained over the course of a period of time. Information from each x-ray image can be combined to generate one or more overall x-ray images that yield a more detailed picture of the imaged object. However, any movement or displacement of the imaged objects during the collection of x-ray images can result in blurring, distortions, defects, or other imperfections in the resulting x-ray image.
For human patients that are the object of an x-ray image scan, small movements of the body during an x-ray scan can negatively affect the imaging process. For example, motion caused by breathing during an x-ray scan can result in a blurred or distorted x-ray image. However, because an imaging process is relatively short, a patient can typically be asked to hold their breath during the imaging process to avoid these issues. Other movements of the human body, however, are involuntary. For example, a patient cannot voluntarily stop their heart from beating. Accordingly, it can be difficult to obtain x-ray images of a human heart without obtaining image distortions caused by the motion effect.
Moreover, because a healthy heart is always beating, the size, shape, and appearance of the heart are constantly changing. Accordingly, it can be valuable for a medical practitioner to obtain information about a heart at various specific states or stages of a heartbeat, or cardiac cycle. However, due to the constant movement of the beating heart, capturing x-ray images at any specific state or stage of the cardiac cycle can be difficult.